This morning on NPR, Bob Edwards spoke with a “Middle East expert” from Sarah Lawrence College. Why an expert from a small liberal arts college near New York City has greater insight than anyone else, I can’t judge. His conclusion was that Iraqis are causing trouble because they feel insecure. If American troops can’t even protect themselves, how can they protect Iraqis.
If that isn’t circular reasoning, I don’t know what is. Edwards went on to discuss Muqtada al-Sadr and his position in all this. The tacit conclusion seemed to be that the US failed when it didn’t arrest al-Sadr months ago, so we have nobody to blame but ourselves.
My view is that he wasn’t seen as a threat before because he has such a small following, and the Coalition didn’t want to spark any controversy in Iraq by picking up a cleric. But Muqtada al-Sadr is now upset because he’s not getting enough attention. “I’m important!” My opinion was confirmed when I opened Outlook this morning.
I receive an email on a weekly basis (although it is often an irregular week) from Iraqi Prospect, an organization in Britain. There is usually some insight into what is happening in Iraq from the Iraqi perspective that makes it worthwhile to digest. Along with Hammorabi and Healing Iraq, I get a picture of the goings on.
Today’s message is Turning the Muqtada Crisis into a Milestone for Iraqi Sovereignty by Sama Hadad in London and Adil Shalan in Baghdad, has take on Muqtada:
Before the establishment of the Iraqi Governing Council he behaved himself very well, and appeared on Al-Jazeera in May speaking positively of the US presence. However, this affirmative attitude soon changed, when he was not included in the 25-member Governing Council. Feeling marginalised, he has grown progressively more hostile and critical of the US-led Coalition and Governing Council.
al-Sadr is whining that he is being ignored. Both Sam and Zeyad agree. Muqtada feels he deserves a position of authority because his father and grandfather were both prominent religious men in Iraq prior to being murdered. His grandfather, in particular, was quite the leader, and we can only wish Muqtada had turned out the same. Grandfather advocated a democratic form of Islam.
There will be pressure from many groups to give the child what he wants so he’ll stop his temper tantrum. Hada and Shalan support that. I don’t.
Americans are often criticized for wanting things to happen too quickly. Pundits in the Old World think we rush things. That’s probably true. This time, when the agenda suits them, the same people want us to rush when it better serves Iraq to go more slowly. Putting Muqtada or one of his representatives on the Governing Council to end the needless violence does nothing but ensure more needless violence the next time things don’t go his way. US troops aren’t responsible for the fighting, Muqtada is.